The story of the Bible is the story of redemption through Christ and Him Crucified. There are many “sub-themes,” certainly but ALL streams of the Word of God run through Calvary and the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. We have the Holy Ghost because of Calvary; we have divine healing because of the Cross; we have eternal life because of heaven; we have prosperity because of the Cross; we have all things relating to spiritual things in God because of the work of the Holy Spirit THROUGH the Cross of Christ and vice versa. In other words, we can’t comprehend the Cross without the Spirit of God and we cannot fully understand and embrace the things of the Spirit without the foundation of what Christ did at Calvary. The Holy Spirit only works through the parameters of the Cross!

By Chris McDonald

Is There Room In Your Father’s House For Us To Lodge In?

Genesis 24:22-23
And it came to pass, as the camels had done drinking, that the man took a golden earring of half a shekel weight, and two bracelets for her hands of ten shekels weight of gold; [23] And said, Whose daughter art thou? tell me, I pray thee: is there room in thy father's house for us to lodge in?

Eliezer takes a golden earring of half a shekel and two bracelets for her hands weight in gold, about $5,000 worth in today’s economy, a type of the GIFTS of the Holy Ghost the Lord has given to the church, and places them on Rebekkah. It’s a type of the work the Holy Ghost begins in us when we answer His request, “is there room?”

That is the question that the Holy Ghost asks EVERY believing sinner. He will never force His way into a life neighbor. He will not force His way into your church or denomination. He will not force His way into a situation He is not wanted. Sir, if you want to hang on to your addiction to alcohol and/or drugs and continue to destroy your family, wife and kids, then He will allow you to do just that. He will plead, convict, deal and gently push, but He will never override your will. You must decide to repent and turn away from the sin FIRST, THEN He will do His work in your life. If you will but say “yes” there is “room,” for you Jesus, then the Holy Spirit, the Lord’s representative here on Earth, will come and do HIS WORK!!!!

How many times has the Holy Spirit been quenched or grieved in our churches because we have pushed him away? How many times has the Holy Spirit wept because we have not allowed him to have full sway in our services?? How many times have preachers gotten behind pulpits and through their own unbelief and hardness of heart shut the door in the face of the HOLY GHOST and said “we don’t have room for that here!” Oh, neighbor, the time is so short that we cannot afford to push Him out. We so desperately need God the Holy Ghost!

Rebekkah replies “we have room.” Neighbor, whenever a church says “we have room,” the Holy Ghost will come and take up lodging. Whenever a home says “we have room,” the Holy Spirit will come and mend broken marriages, heal torn hearts and produce the godliest of love between husband and wife, children and parents. Peace reigns at the home of those who have given the Holy Ghost “room.”

When HE comes, souls are saved, sick bodies are healed, bondages broken, hearts mended and spirits lifted. VICTORY over sin, the flesh and the devil are found at the foot of the cross and through the power of the welcomed Holy Ghost. The Holy Spirit awaits the same response and answer from us.

A Long Way from Home………..

Genesis 24:28
And the damsel ran, and told them of her mother's house these things.

She runs to her family, tells them all that Eliezer has shared with her about the trip (24:28). This was no small journey; some 700 miles from Nahor to Mesopotamia did the servant go to get a bride for Isaac. Some 2,000 years ago because of what Jesus did for us at the Cross, the Holy Ghost came a LONG way from Glory to Earth to secure a bride for the Crucified Lamb of Glory.

Laban, Rebecca’s brother, sees the earring, beautiful garments and the bracelets upon his sister’s hand, a type of the Righteousness of Christ and the Holiness of God’s character in the believer. I ask you today, does the world see those things in us when they look at us? Laban hears the words of Rebekkah, thus he “sees” and “hears” all that has happened with Abraham’s servant. Friend, the world MUST SEE AND HEAR the gospel of Jesus Christ for it to take notice of what God is doing on the world’s behalf!

Paul cried in Romans, “how shall they believe in him WHOM THEY HAVE NOT HEARD!?’ The way the world hears is through the preaching of the gospel not the foolishness of this psycho babble that has gripped the modern church world today. God help us. The preaching of the gospel under the anointing of the Holy Ghost will bring the conviction needed to change hearts and lives. It’s the only thing that will work neighbor!

Romans 10:14-18
How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? [15] And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written.

Romans 10:17
So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Laban looks at the situation then says, “We have prepared the house and room for the camels.” This statement has profound meaning for us today!

So many people want the “gifts” of the Holy Ghost but they don’t want to make “room,” for the camels, i.e. that which they consider to be an imposition. But if we are to have the gifts and ministries of the Holy Ghost in our churches, we MUST make room for the camels! There are diversities of administrations, ministries and gifts of the Spirit that the church world today so little partakes of.

Most of what goes on today is nothing more than machinery that is built upon dead theology. The word of God must work hand in hand with the Spirit of God. You can’t have one without the other and expect to have a New Covenant church. The Spirit of God agrees with the Word and the Word agrees with the Spirit! Neither contradicts the other. The Spirit will always point the church to the Cross and a proper understanding of the Cross will always embrace the fullness of the Holy Ghost! Christ died that men may be filled with the baptism of the Holy Ghost. Christ died to save our souls from hell and fill men with His Spirit and yes, with the initial evidence of speaking with other tongues! You don’t have to speak in tongues to be saved, but tongues are part of the “camels!”

The modern “user” friendly mentality of the church world today wants church to be “proper,” and “neat.” I’m sorry friend but when the Holy Ghost shows up it is not always “proper and neat.” Things get messy sometimes so ORDER can be brought out of chaos. Yes we do things decently and in order but we don’t make that a mantra we hide behind to justify our unbelief and hardness of heart!

Hinder Me Not.....

Genesis 24:52-56
And it came to pass, that, when Abraham's servant heard their words, he worshipped the Lord, bowing himself to the earth. [53] And the servant brought forth jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment, and gave them to Rebekah: he gave also to her brother and to her mother precious things. [54] And they did eat and drink, he and the men that were with him, and tarried all night; and they rose up in the morning, and he said, Send me away unto my master. [55] And her brother and her mother said, Let the damsel abide with us a few days, at the least ten; after that she shall go. [56] And he said unto them, Hinder me not, seeing the Lord hath prospered my way; send me away that I may go to my master.


Eliezer tells Laban and Rebecca’s family the reason he is here. They know that more than likely if Rebekkah accepts his invitation they will never see her again. When we come to Jesus we say GOODBYE to our old lives! We don’t hang on to the world and Christ too – that is not true Biblical salvation! We say “goodbye,” to sin and YES to HIM!

The servant brings forth jewels of silver, jewels of gold, and raiment, and gives them to her, and to her brother and mother, “precious things.” The silver was a type of our redemption by blood; the gold, a type of the divine nature inside each believer; the raiment, a type of the righteousness of Christ, through the blood. The worth and cost of all these items was staggering. The SPIRITUAL gifts to the Church, made possible by Christ and what He did at the Cross, are also staggering in cost knowing the price that was paid for us to have these things today.

He has given to us “precious things.” These “precious things” in the life of every believer are not to be taken lightly, which sadly, they are. We take for granted the work the Holy Ghost does in our lives. Some get frustrated when they don’t see the progress as quick as they should, but neighbor, the work the Holy Spirit is doing is ETERNAL, not temporal. He wants to do more than just a “quick fix,” to our problems; He wants to get us ready for eternity.

2 Peter 1:3-16
According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: [4] Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. [5] And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; [6] And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; [7] And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.

Laban wants the servant to stay the night and eat, but the servant objects and says, “hinder me not, seeing he Lord has prospered my way, send me away that I may go to my master.” That is the same attitude the Holy Ghost has today. . There is URGENCY to the work of the HOLY SPIRIT in the earth today unlike any time in human history. Events are taking place this very second that are orchestrating the rise of the man of sin, the coming Tribulation and the Second Coming of Christ. The Spirit of God is saying to us, “HINDER ME NOT – LET ME DO THE WORK I NEED TO DO IN THE CHURCH TODAY.” Much of what goes on in the ‘name’ of Jesus does nothing to help but it HINDERS the work of the Holy Ghost.

The Holy Ghost’s errand is two-fold – reaching out and convicting the lost in the form of one final harvest and the other is preparing the world stage for the coming time of travail and tribulation that will ultimately see all of Israel saved. There is coming a “MARRIAGE SUPPER OF THE LAMB” in heaven that cannot start until the Bride of Christ has been secured here in earth. Israel was to be that wife, but having forfeited the position, at least for now, the Church is the focus of God’s attention, at least during this dispensation of Grace.

The Jewish people as a whole are lost and without God. There is a growing number of Jewish people who are coming to Messiah each and every day which we praise the Lord for. But national Israel as a whole is still lost and in need of Messiah. There is only one way to God for both Jew and Gentile – and that is through he shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.

I Will Go.........

Genesis 24:58 - And they called Rebekkah, and said unto her, Wilt thou go with this man? And she said, I will go.

The Holy Spirit is asking us the same question, “will you go?” As we near the end of the church age and the Holy Spirit is getting us ready for the rapture, He is asking you and I today, “will YOU GO?” It’s a very serious question friend and not one to be taken lightly of flippantly! The answer will determine eternity for billions one day. When He deals with our hearts we must answer Him quickly! There are not guarantees He will ask again when He calls once.

The lights put up in the regions of our soul when we were children remain their for life. All men are given opportunity at least once to say “yes,” to the call of God for salvation. Many have more than one call but we ALL have at least one. No man will be able to stand before God and say they were not warned or dealt with concerning their eternal soul.

That’s why turning off God the Holy Ghost is so dangerous. Our hearts grow hard and cold when we do that. Friend, we know not what tomorrow holds and whether our next breath will be in this life or in the life to come. This is not the end game as some put it. There is eternity for ALL – whether it be in hell or heaven. We don’t preach this anymore as we are so busy caught up preaching about blessing and prosperity. The Holy Ghost’s job is more than just bringing the trinkets and bobbles. Certainly, these things were to show Rebekkah what awaited her if she said “yes,” but they were but an “earnest,” of a greater inheritance she would find with Isaac.

When we got saved and the Holy Spirit came to live, He came as an “earnest,” of our full redemption one day we will receive if we obey the word of God and live by faith in Christ to the end!

Ephes. 4:30-32 - And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. [31] Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: [32] And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

Let Your Seed Possess the Gate of Those Who Hate You

Genesis 24:59-60
And they sent away Rebekah their sister, and her nurse, and Abraham's servant, and his men. [60] And they blessed Rebekah, and said unto her, Thou art our sister, be thou the mother of thousands of millions, and let thy seed possess the gate of those which hate them.

Little did Laban know that a staggering number, “thousands of millions,” would in fact come to possess the gates of the enemy one day through Christ. Every single person who is born again is part of this number. Rebecca’s “SEED” Jesus Christ has “possessed the gate” of all enemies, signifying total victory in every capacity. Those who believe in Him have that same victory through faith in what He did for us at the Cross and through His Blood!

Genesis 24:61
And Rebekkah arose, and her damsels, and they rode upon the camels, and followed the man: and the servant took Rebekah, and went his way.

Rebekkah arose, got on the camels, and followed the servant who “went his way.” We are to follow the Holy Spirit to all of His leading, and always without exception HE WILL LEAD US TO CHRIST. Jesus said when He comes, He will not speak of Himself but will “GLORIFY ME!”

John 14:26
But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

John 15:26
But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceeded from the Father, he shall testify of me:

When I See Him, I Will Live….

Genesis 24:62-67 - And Isaac came from the way of the well Lahai-roi; for he dwelt in the south country. [63] And Isaac went out to meditate in the field at the eventide: and he lifted up his eyes, and saw, and, behold, the camels were coming. [64] And Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she lighted off the camel. [65] For she had said unto the servant, What man is this that walketh in the field to meet us? And the servant had said, It is my master: therefore she took a vail, and covered herself. [66] And the servant told Isaac all things that he had done. [67] And Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah's tent, and took Rebekah, and she became his wife; and he loved her: and Isaac was comforted after his mother's death.

The well, “Lahai-roi,” means “when I see Him, I will live.” It was a well in the wilderness between Kadesh Barnea and Bered in the Desert of Shur <Gen. 16:14>. It received its name when an angel appeared to Hagar in this place. Hagar's son Ishmael lived here both before and after the death of Abraham his father. <Gen. 24:62; 25:11> It was here where Isaac would meet Rebekkah.

One day soon, the trump of God will sound and we will go to meet our Heavenly Isaac - and when we “SEE” Him, we shall live. Corruption will put on incorruption, mortality will put on immortality and death will be swallowed up in victory.

1 Cor. 15:51-55
Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, [52] In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. [53] For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. [54] So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. [55] O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?

Isaac goes out to meditate in the field at the evening. Jesus is ever interceding for us at this very moment. It’s getting late in the evening neighbor. Time is short and it won’t be much longer before His intercessory work in heaven is complete as well as the intercessory work of the Holy Spirit on earth. We have two intercessors praying that we make it through this life.

While in prayer, He looks up and he sees the camel train coming. I can almost hear the servants around Isaac’s tent cry, “the camels are coming, the camels are coming!” One day and one day soon, our Heavenly Isaac will look up and see us coming and we will be riding upon the “camels” of the Holy Ghost train!

1 Thes. 4:14-16
For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. [15] For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. [16] For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

Rebekkah lifts her eyes sees Isaac; she lights off the camel, meeting Him at his place of prayer. When the trump sounds, we’re going to meet our Heavenly Isaac at His place of prayer in heaven – the right hand of God.

Heb 7:25- Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever lives to make intercession for them.

Rebekkah asks Eliezer, “who is this man that walks in the fields to meet us?” Eliezer says, “This is my master.” One day we’re going to ask the Holy Spirit, “who is this Jesus we’re going to meet?” She takes a veil and covers herself, a type of the glory of humility on the church by the Holy Ghost. The servant then tells Isaac ALL things that he had done. What a story. One day at the judgment seat, when we stand before the Lord, the HOLY SPIRIT will tell HIS MASTER ALL that he has done to make us faultless before Him.

Jude 1:23-24 - And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh. [24] Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,

Some say faultless? The Holy Spirit is going to present us faultless and stand with us even at the end when we must give an account. HE IS THE ONE WORKING ON US TO MAKE US HIS WORKMANSHIP EVEN AT THIS VERY SECOND. All the conviction, the leading, the warning, the pleading, the patience and the intercession – will be worth it all one day when we stand before our Heavenly Isaac.

Romans 8:27-28 - And he that searches the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God. [28] And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

Eph 2:7-10- That in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

Isaac brings Rebekkah and takes her into Sarah’s tent and she becomes his wife. In those days, the primitive marriage ceremony consisted solely of the taking of a bride before witnesses. The word “death,” is added here by the translators and was not in the original text. It is as if the Holy Spirit would not conclude this beautiful and joyful narrative with a note of sorrow. There will no sorrow in heaven when we get home.

1 Thes. 4:16-17 - For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: [17] Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

And when we who are alive in Christ are caught up, along with the dead in Christ, we will join many WITNESSES in heaven to complete the Body of Christ and become PART of the MARRIAGE SUPPER OF THE LAMB. The Holy Ghost bears witness with OUR spirit that we are the children of God.

Hebrews 8:10-12 - For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people: [11] And they shall not teach every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest. [12] For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.
 

Hebrews 10:15-18 - Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before, [16] This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; [17] And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. [18] Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin.

We will not be there because we’re Baptist, or Methodist or Pentecostal. We will be there because of a DEATH. The blood stained hands of Jesus will embrace us for eternity. His wounds will be an eternal remembrance of what He did for us 2,000 years ago that the reason we are able to be in God’s presence is because of the Blood. The Holy Spirit will be there. The Lord Jesus will be there and God will be there. And we will at the end of this journey understand the power and grace of the Holy Ghost and what He did for us while here on earth.

I pray you know this Heavenly Isaac today – the Lord Jesus Christ. His Father’s servant, the Holy Spirit, is out looking for more to become part of this bride He will carry back to glory one day to present to the Father. If you don’t know Him today you can! Repent, believe the gospel and be saved today. Notice I said, “REPENT,” first. That is the first thing one must do – admit one is a sinner and determine not to live a sinful life. Then confess you believe that Jesus is the only answer for your sin and believe God raised Him from the dead. The Bible says that “whosoever,” then calls upon the name of the LORD SHALL BE SAVED! You will then be part of this Heavenly Bridal group headed to glory. I pray that you will be there one day. I plan to be.